Communities throughout the country are currently implementing hundreds of innovative community-based initiatives aimed at responding to the HIV and AIDS pandemic at grassroots level, through the Essential HIV and AIDS Services Package(ESP)

The Package is a collaborative approach by the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftainship (MOLGC) and the National AIDS Commission (NAC) supported by GTZ and UNAIDS through which all 128 Community Councils have made prioritised plans for implementing HIV interventions in their communities. Using a menu of interventions, linked directly to the National HIV & AIDS Strategic Plan 2006-2011, each Community Council (under the leadership of the Council Social Services Committee) ranked its communities’ first, second and third priorities from five sets of objectives. The result for each Council was a plan of 15 HIV and AIDS interventions for immediate action.

A Programme Support Coordinator and 27 Community Council Support Persons (CCSPs) have been employed to support the Councils during the first two years of implementation. They work closely with the National AIDS Commission’s Technical Support Officers, Community Council Secretaries and the Community Council Social Services Committees chairpersons, who are responsible for the long-term success of the approach.

During the first year, all Community Councils have used service providers to implement at least two of their chosen priorities. Some of the success stories from the Package are highlighted below.

Home based care kits and training

Nteti Ntsike is a Community Council Support Person for Mafeteng. He says one of the most successful interventions in his area has been in Malumeng Community Council which has worked with Karabong ARV Centre, based at Mafeteng Hospital, to train Home Based Care support groups in places where there are no health centres.

Twenty-six home-based care group representatives (two from each of the Council’s 11 electoral divisions) have been trained and 22 home-based care kits, with gloves, purchased. Mr. Ntsike says the work has greatly improved the quality of care for many HIV positive people in the area. “The groups were already doing the care work out of love but now the training has motivated and capacitated them. The quality of life of critically ill people has improved. People are also able to get help for common illnesses such as headaches locally. It’s eliminated the need to travel far for things which can easily be treated at community level.”

Facilitating regular activities for youth

One of the Community Councils which a Butha Buthe CCSP, Thabiso Matela, is working with is Makhunoane. Focus around this area has been on youth and the Council has worked together with an NGO, Kick for Life, to provide life-skills training for 15-30 year olds. The training covers the challenges of decision-making in everyday life, especially in relation to HIV. Role plays and traditional games are used to try to involve all participants.

The initiative began in January of this year and since then 105 young women and men have participated. They come from all walks of life including herdboys. Trainers have been trained to oversee the activities of the groups and it’s hoped that they can extend their work into groups in other areas.

Support for people who are HIV positive

Deployed in Thaba Tseka’s Mohlanapeng Community Council local CCSP is Mpoi Mokhoabane, who has worked with Councilors and a Lesotho Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS (LENEPWHA) expert on a group counseling exercise. Mokoto Clinic and Mohlapeng Health Centres were the focus for the work in which HIV positive people came together in two groups to work with Mr. Tsoete name Mokoena from LENEPHWA. Support groups invited people they knew from the village and most invited attended, even those recently diagnosed.

The two day counseling meetings, one at Mokoto and one at Mohlanapeng, gave people the opportunity to learn about healthy living, how to protect themselves and their families and to share their own experiences.

It was the first time people had come together in such a way invited by support groups rather than by chiefs. Community councilors and participants rated the group counseling very highly and it has been suggested that an HIV support group be established within the Council.

Capacitating the community to protect orphans and vulnerable children

In Quthing’s Qomo-Qomong Council orphans and vulnerable children were identified as of key concern. Local CCSP, Masello Tlalanyane, worked with the Council to bring in two service providers, the Child and Gender Protection Unit and the Ministry of Social Welfare to conduct training. Two members of each community support group, along with all the councilors and two chiefs, attended the training. Gender and equality were also a focus.

The success of the training was evident immediately after the training ended when a case of an orphan being badly treated and needing protection was reported to the unit.

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Qomo-Qomong councillors

Facilitating adherence to best practice in initiation schools

Traditional leaders, initiation school leaders and traditional doctors were the target group for remote Thabakhulu Community Council in Qacha’s Nek. Hamolomo Health Centre, on behalf of the Council, worked with the leaders to promote safer practices in initiation schools. Gloves and razor blades were provided for each school. Local CCSP Nkhooa Molahlehi said the training included best practice in terms of treating wounds such as those incurred during stick fighting. It was also suggested to participants that they set aside a time, within other activities at the initiation schools, to discuss HIV. It was agreed that a representative from the committee of traditional leaders would visit each school and talk to the initiates about HIV.

The traditional leaders followed up on the training by going door-to door in their communities to raise people’s awareness about HIV.

Male focused discussions

Mokolometsane Community Council in Maseru district held several lipitso, with the aim of encouraging men to come forward and form male support group. Local CCSP, Mamonyane Mohlakoane said at first attendance was low but perseverance paid off and in March this year a support group was established. The support group now meets on a monthly basis with EGPAF (Elizabeth Glaser Paediatric AIDS Foundation) staff members in a forum where HIV issues can be discussed among men. It is planned that in future, when the Council calls a pitso, representatives from the group will talk about HIV issues with those gathered.

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Hopolang Senekane, ESP Programme Support Co-ordinator together with CCSPs Masello Tlalanyane, Nteki Ntsike, Mamonyane Mohlakoane, Nkhooa Molahlehi, Mpoi Mokhoabane and Thabiso Matela.

For more information about the Essential HIV and AIDS Services Package contact: the National AIDS Commission ph: 22 326794; email: info@nas.org.ls